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The Blizzard Insider is an online newsletter of all things Blizzard. In each issue, the Insider provides exclusive, breaking news on Blizzard games, interviews with the Blizzard development teams, special offers available only to Blizzard Insider subscribers through our online store, and much more.

ith the upcoming launch of the Diablo® III beta test, the armies of the Burning Hells will march forth from their forgotten lairs to besiege the mortal realms anew.

To prepare for this renewed demonic invasion, the Blizzard Insider has secured an exclusive interview with Lead Content Designer Kevin Martens as he shares his thoughts and insight on Diablo® III's upcoming beta test. So read on, and prepare yourself for the next chapter in the Diablo® saga.

Insider: Aside from the story elements, how are you tuning the game's combat encounters?

Kevin Martens: We want the game's difficulty to hit a range of "peaks" and "valleys" as the player progresses from battle to battle. During the "peaks", the challenge level spikes and players will be tested to their limits. In the "valleys", the difficulty relaxes and players can build up their health and energy again. From a gameplay standpoint, valleys are important because they allow players to learn and experiment with their abilities without too much fear of failure or death. It's the skills and techniques developed during the valleys that enable players to survive the peaks, which tend to be much tougher encounters, like ambushes, large groups, rare monsters, or even bosses. The peaks will require players to think quickly, spend their resources carefully, and move around the battlefield to avoid getting surrounded.

ne year ago, StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty launched to reignite the galaxy-shattering conflicts between the protoss, terran, and zerg on the newly-revamped Battle.net's servers.

Join Dustin Browder, game director of StarCraft® II, as he marks the occasion with an in-depth discussion of the game's first year, its ongoing live support, and the latest developments on the growing eSports Community.

ritten by New York Times bestselling author Christie Golden, the new World of Warcraft novel Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects is now available at local and online book retailers. This new adventure follows Thrall, the former warchief of the Horde, as he struggles with the ongoing repercussions of the Cataclysm. Before an apocalyptic vision comes to pass, Thrall must purge his own doubts and save Azeroth's dragonflights from utter extinction.

lizzCon 2011 sold out in record time, but you can still join in the show from the comfort of your own home with the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket. The Virtual Ticket lets you experience the sights and sounds of BlizzCon through a live, high-definition Internet video stream. With four channels of access to the panels, eSports tournaments, and other activities of the show, you'll be warping straight into the heart of BlizzCon itself.

he latest short story in the ongoing Leaders of Azeroth series examines Baine Bloodhoof, the newly-appointed high chief of the tauren.

Written by Steven Nix, "As Our Fathers Before Us" focuses on Baine's struggle to lead Thunder Bluff in a time of sorrow and mourning after the loss of its former High Chief, Baine's father, Cairne Bloodhoof.